The case: On Dec. 3, 2013, Beaverton police and federal agents arrested four people on accusations of aggravated theft and unlawful use of food stamps, and a fifth person was arrested on suspicion of perjury. The arrests came after an investigation that began in 2009 found evidence of fraud. Authorities said Mahmoud Tajgerdu, 42, of Beaverton, co-owner of Beaverton Halal Meat and Mediterranean Groceries, 11527 S.W. Canyon Road, charged customers to exchange their federal food stamp benefits to illegally obtain cash.

Tajgerdu, Bahman Hoshmand, 40, of Beaverton, and Aziz Darakhshani, 39, of Beaverton, were booked into the Washington County Jail on charges of aggravated theft and unlawfully obtaining supplemental nutritional assistance.

Rafik Korkut, 35, of Portland, was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center on charges of aggravated theft and unlawfully obtaining supplemental nutritional assistance.

Negin Tajgerdu, 23, Mahmoud Tajgerdu’s daughter, was booked into the Washington County Jail on charges of perjury.

Updates: On Dec. 4, 2013, Darakhshani pleaded not guilty to one count each of first-degree aggravated theft and unlawful use of food stamps. He was originally scheduled for trial March 11, according to court records.

Sentences: Hoshmand was sentenced to five years of probation, 100 hours of community service, ordered to pay a total of $900 in fines and assessments and a compensatory fine of $20,000 to Food and Nutrition Services. Hoshmand is to have no contact with the victim.

Negin Tajgerdu was sentenced to two years of probation, 120 hours of community service and fined $300.

Korkut was given a three-year suspended prison sentence and sentenced to five years of probation, including no contact with his co-defendants. Korkut was ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution, a $100 probation fee, a $600 fine and a $12,000 compensatory fine.

What’s next: Aziz Darakhshani’s trial date will be reset to a yet-unknown date in fall 2014, according to Bracken McKey, senior deputy district attorney for Washington County.